Slapende Venus en Amor

About this artwork

mezzotint

Art Historical Context

Behold *Slapende Venus en Amor* (Sleeping Venus and Amor), delicate mezzotint on paper by Dutch artist Adriaen van der Werff (1659–1722). Measuring just 210 × 188 mm, this print captures a serene mythological scene: the reclining goddess Venus in slumber, accompanied by the playful cherub Amor. Van der Werff, a master of the Leiden fijnschilders (fine painters), was renowned for his exquisitely polished, almost enamel-like depictions of classical subjects, blending Dutch realism with idealized beauty during the late Baroque era. Mezzotint, the innovative technique employed here, revolutionized printmaking in the 17th century. Invented around 1640, it involves roughening a copper plate with a rocker tool to create a velvety black ground, then scraping and burnishing to produce luminous highlights and subtle tonal gradations—perfect for evoking the soft, glowing skin and drapery in van der Werff's vision. This method allowed affordable reproductions of luxurious oil paintings, bringing high art to collectors across Europe. Created amid the Dutch Golden Age's waning years, the work reflects enduring fascination with Venusian themes from antiquity, symbolizing love, beauty, and vulnerability. Its small scale invites close contemplation, a testament to van der Werff's precision and the mezzotint's painterly richness.

About the Artist

Adriaen van der Werff · 1659–1722

Dutch painter and draughtsman. He was apprenticed to the portrait painter Cornelis Picolet (1626–79) from 1668 to 1670 and then from ca.1671 to 1676 to Eglon van der Neer in Rotterdam. From 1676 van der Werff produced small portraits and genre paintings as an independent master. In 1687 van der Werff, by then a successful artist, married the wealthy Margaretha Rees (1669–1731), whose guardian, Nic...